ÃŽle du Levant
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The Ile du Levant ( island of the east / sunrise ) is an island in the Mediterranean off the French coast near Toulon. It is located next to the Port Cros island and is the easternmost of the three islands in the Îles d' Hyères. It extends at an average width of one kilometers over approximately eight kilometers from southwest to northeast. The highest point of the island lies 138 meters above sea level.
Only a small part of the Ile du Levant is freely accessible. There is the village of Heliopolis, which was founded by the Paris doctors Gaston and André Durville 1931 and for the first naturist village in Europe. Heliopolis should promote an alternative and nature-loving lifestyle. The love of nature is still felt today. So there are only four cars, a taxi to carry passengers and three trucks.
There are several hotels and bed-and - breakfasts, all for naturists. The two beaches Bain de Diane and Plage des Grottes are reserved for naturists; Nudity is there a formal mandatory. Nudity is allowed anywhere on the publicly accessible area of the island and expected, except in the immediate vicinity of the port and the village square. There you have to wear what is known on the island as a joke, " le minimum ", ie a pareo or a string. In the relaxed atmosphere of the island this policy is not really enforced, but be aware in general. In the restaurants outside the village center usually clothing is worn, but topless (women and men ) is quite acceptable; " Le minimum " suffices as clothing. At least one restaurant, La Fourmi, encouraged, naked to visit the restaurant.
The village has a small school, a town hall and a police station. There is a food business (Le Bazar D' Héliopolis ) and some special clothing stores, the " le minimum " offer. The island is also visited by scuba divers.
Robert A. Heinlein's novel Street of Glory ( Glory Road ) tells charmed by the original life on the island.
Outside of Heliopolis, the nature reserve is Domaine des Arbousiers with its arbutus main tourist attraction.
The island was over the centuries repeatedly haven of religious orders. Monks of the Order Leriner built a seat of their church, Benedictine and later the Crusaders settled since the 15th century, on the Ile du Levant down. Of the monastic buildings now in ruins in the valley Jas -Vieux are obtained.
The French military operates since 1948 a missile test site on the Île du Levant. Caisson Nemo is the name of the launcher, from the late 1960s, some French medium-range missiles, as well as many rockets to explore the upper atmosphere have been started.
The island is accessible from Hyères and Le Lavandou by ferry.